Verizon, Alcatel demo single-wavelength 100 Gbps on 10 Gbps fiber

Verizon has wrapped up a field test of 100 Gbps transmission on a live, in-service, 312-mile optical network route between Tampa and Miami in Florida. The test was designed to demonstrate the ability to upgrade a 10 Gbps optical network to 100 Gbps.

The company said it successfully transmitted a live video feed from FiOS TV on a Verizon Business optical system carrying other live traffic at 10 Gbps.

Verizon used Alcatel-Lucent's 1625 LambdaXtreme Transport system for the test. There are two ways to achieve 100 Gbps. One is to use 10 separate 10 Gbps wavelengths to carry an aggregate 100 Gbps. Verizon demonstrated the other method, a 100 Gbps signal on a single wavelength.

The test was conducted on a line originally conditioned for 10 Gbps transmission, without any changes to the fiber, amplifiers or other embedded equipment, according to Verizon.

Fred Briggs, EVP of network operations and technology for Verizon Business, said, "This trial proves what we've been saying: The move from 40 Gbps - available from Verizon Business today - to 100 Gbps will be exponentially quicker than the move from 10 Gbps to 40 Gbps.”